


Carve our place into Time and Space

by Daughter_of_the_TARDIS



Series: The Songs of the Universe [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Bechdel Test Pass, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Family, Female Friendship, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, Regeneration, episode rewrites, original story arcs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-02-06 23:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12828261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS/pseuds/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS
Summary: When the Doctor is summoned to Victorian London, he has a feeling that a whirlwind adventure is about to begin.  What he doesn't know is that it is also the beginning of a mystery that will take him centuries to solve.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewritten, much better version of a fic that I posted on FFN a very long time ago, under a different title. You can read it there if you're impatient, but I wouldn't recommend it as that version isn't very good.

It was strange, the Doctor decided, just how much time he actually spent on Earth. He had the entirety of time and space at his disposal, yet the majority of his time was spent on one tiny planet in the Milky Way galaxy.

This time, he and Donna Noble were walking down the snow-covered streets of Olde London Town. While he was searching the streets for a certain thing - which he had refused to tell Donna about, mainly because even he wasn’t exactly sure what they would find - she was marveling at the dresses and horse-drawn carriages that surrounded them.

“Where are we, Doctor?” she asked.

“Not where, Donna.” He said lightly, catching a snowflake on his tongue. “When.” He turned to give her a madcap grin, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Alright then. When are we?” she rolled her eyes, making a face at his back as he continued to walk down the street.

“London, England.” he told her. “During the reign of Queen Victoria. Hopefully, we don't end up running into Her Majesty, I wouldn’t want to regenerate from a decapitation…” he mused. Donna just gave him a look of disbelief, choosing to keep her mouth shut for once. After all, that adventure had most likely happened with Rose, and if there was one way to ruin the alien’s good mood, it was to mention her. Even if that particular adventure hadn’t happened with her, there was still a chance he’d go all spaceman on her for asking.

“And what are we doing here?” she asked. She felt it was a reasonable question. After all, the last time that he had taken her someplace, some… thing had taken over his mind and tried to kill him while she was getting pampered at a spa.

“Meeting someone.” he told her, his tone distracted as he continued to scan the buildings on either side of the street. He pulled the black billfold that held the psychic paper out of his inner breast pocket, handing it to her so she could read the message scribbled inside.

Come on then! Was written in a flowing calligraphy in dark purple ink. I’m not going to wait around here all day. There was a split second where the message disappeared before it was replaced with coordinates and a date-and-time reference.

“And who are we meeting?” she asked, handing the psychic paper back to her alien friend.

“I’ve got no idea.” he admitted, before looking at her and flashing a grin. “Should be fun.”

“Ah ha!” he said happily, drawing some slightly scandalized looks from a group of ladies standing nearby - apparently, he was being far too loud for their tastes. “Here it is!” he pointed to the wooden sign hanging out above the bustling pub. 

“The Rose & Crown.” Donna read. “Hang on, I know this place. Gramps and I used to come ‘ere all the time.”

The Doctor grinned, nodding at her. “Some places are old, Donna. Like this one.” he simply explained, before heading inside.

The interior of the pub was warm and cosy, and filled with laughter and conversation. People were everywhere, filling every available seat. Barmaids were hurrying around, their skirts swishing in front of them to clear a path as they delivered trays of drinks to thirsty patrons.

“Something’s not right…” the Doctor said quietly, and Donna scoffed.

“You’re telling me! There’s bloody rats everywhere!” she said, pointing at the floor.

But he just shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Hygiene wasn’t the greatest during this time period, after all.” he said, as he looked around the room. “Its… there!” he finally spotted it, a wide grin splitting his face. He cut his way through the drunken pub crowd, heading towards a door at the back with strange circular markings drawn on it with chalk - the same markings that Donna had seen back on the TARDIS, written on post-it notes, many times before.

8888

The Doctor flung open the door, standing in it so that his overcoat billowed out behind him in a way he thought looked rather cool and mysterious. Donna thought it just made him look even skinnier than usual.

“Hello there!” he said to whoever was in the room - he was blocking the entrance, so Donna couldn’t see. 

“I beg your pardon, sir, but this is a private room.” A voice chided. “I'm afraid I must ask you to leave.”

He ignored what she said, hands in his pockets as he strolled through the door. “Hello, I’m the Doctor. But you already knew that, didn’t you? After all, you’re the one who called me here.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.” the gentle voice said calmly, and the Doctor moved further into the room, with Donna following behind.

She was well-off, that much was obvious just by looking at her even if you didn't know much about the time period. Her skin and clothes were completely free of dirt and stains of any kind, unlike all of the other patrons of the Rose & Crown. Her pale skin and olive green eyes were offset by her dark red hair, which had been piled up on top of her head in an elaborate style. She wore a beautiful plum-coloured gown made of crushed velvet, complete with bustle and cream-coloured trim, and looked as if she had just stepped out a women’s fashion magazine for the time period. Somehow, she had managed to get a complete tea set in the seedy pub, and was currently adding sugar to her cup. 

“Now, that’s not quite true, is it?” he asked, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Because, y’see, the writing on the door? That’s Gallifreyan - the language of the Time Lords. So either you just got really lucky with your doodling, or you’ve been expecting me.”

The woman smiled as she sipped her tea. “And how am I to know that you are who you claim to be?” she asked in response. “Anyone could claim to be the Doctor - how do I know that you are truly him?”

“Well, to start with,” the Doctor said with a rather put-out look on his face. “I could tell you what is written on that door is rather rude. I’m supposed to be the rude one, you know - rude and not ginger, that’s me.”

She gave a small laugh, just as a snorting noise came from near the fireplace. Both Donna and the Doctor turned to see what it was. A small, scaly creature sat so close to the fireplace that it was nearly in the flames. It lifted its head and yawned slowly, revealing pointed teeth that set Donna on edge just a bit, before slowly blinking open yellow eyes.

“Tha’s a snake.” Donna said slowly. “You’ve got a snake for a pet.”

“Now, I wouldn’t say that.” the woman said amicably, although her eyebrows had furrowed together in irritation. “Rosaline isn’t a pet, nor is she a snake. I suppose you would call her my… companion.” she smirked at them.

“Right then!” the Doctor said. If you had just heard his voice, one might have thought that he was excited and cheerful. But both Donna and the mysterious woman were looking at him, and so they saw the dark gleam in his eye - the look of the Oncoming Storm. “Why did you call us here? I’m assuming it wasn’t just to have tea and chat, because judging by what you think of me - the note on the door made that perfectly clear, by the way - this isn’t a social call.” He paused for a moment, running a hand through his hair. “Which reminds me, where did you learn to write Gallifreyan?”

“My mum taught me.” she told him, keeping her eyes trained on the table where she traced patterns into the wood with her fingertips. “When I was still a kid.”

“But, you’re quite right.” she said, putting her cup back down on its saucer as she stood up. “But while we may have had our differences in the past - my past, your future, that is - I can assure you that I don’t have any issues with you at this current point in time. The question is, are you willing to help me?” she asked, as she stood up from her chair and walked over to a coat rack that stood in the corner.

“That depends on what we’d be assisting you with.” the Doctor said slowly, and the woman smirked at him as she pulled on her long tan coat, buttoning it up quickly before placing the matching hat on her head.

“Oh stop playing around, Doctor.” she chided, heading towards the door. “You and I both know that you’re going to help me - after all, you can’t resist a chance to play the hero.”

And with that, she whistled to her pet. The not-a-snake animal stood up before quickly darting out of the flames, racing over to the woman and settling in the fur lining of her coat. It moved so fast that all they were able to see of the creature was an emerald green blur, and then a pair of eyes that stared out at them from the relative warmth of a fur-lined muff.

“Well?” Donna asked. “Are we gonna help her?”

He didn’t answer her for a moment or two, staring at the retreating form of the woman instead. When he finally did, though, it was with all of the exuberance that he could muster.

“Of course we are!” he said, quickly striding out of the room. “And as my friend Sir Doyle once said, ‘the game’s afoot!’”

8888

The woman had led them outside into the cold and snowy evening, quickly calling a cab. 

“Number thirteen, Paternoster Row, please.” she told him, climbing into the cab. “And quickly, if you wouldn’t mind.”

The driver nodded, barely giving the time-travelers a chance to even get in the cab before he flicked the reins and started the horses.

They sat there in awkward silence for a minute, during which the Doctor stared at their mysterious associate, trying to discern every last detail about her, and she just sat, staring out the window.

Finally, Donna couldn’t take it anymore. “Who are you?” she asked, getting the woman to look up at her. “You haven’t told us anything about you! Do you seriously just expect us to come with you without any information at all?”

She smirked. “Well, that kind of is what you’re doing, isn’t it?” she pointed out, then gave a soft cry of pain. She pulled a hand out of the muff to reveal a large red area on her hand. “Rosaline, that hurt!” she scolded. 

Donna watched in surprise as the animal poked its head out of the muff and seemed to glare at the young woman. It’s head was covered in emerald green scales with a small crest that went from behind its ears to halfway down its neck, and had beautiful yellow eyes with slitted pupils.

The Doctor looked at it in surprise. “That’s a dragon!” he cried out, his voice cracking slightly. “Where did you find a dragon?”

“The dragon has a name, you know.” she said testily. “Rosaline. We’d appreciate it if you’d use it.”

Then she turned to Donna, picking up that conversation where they had left off. “But I suppose you’re right. I’m acting a bit like him right now, aren’t I?” she asked, but continued talking before she could get an answer. “Expecting you to just follow along behind me, no questions asked. What would you like to know?”

“Who and what are you?” the Doctor asked immediately, but she just frowned at him. 

“First of all, I didn’t say you could ask, you presumptuous git.” she said sharply - she seemed to still be mad at him for his comments about the dragon - and that actually made Donna laugh a bit. “Besides, I couldn’t answer that question even if I wanted to. Spoilers.” she looked at Donna again. “Any questions?”

“What’s your name?” she asked, and got a slight smile in return. 

“Catherine - I know it's not proper for you to call me by my Christian name, but I must admit, I feel as though I’ve known of you for my entire life, despite having just met you.” there was a mischievous glint in her eye as she said that. “And what is yours?”

“Donna. Donna Noble.” she said, and the both the young woman and the animal on her lap looked at her in shock.

“You’re Donna Noble?” she breathed out, and then her face broke into a grin. “Oh, I knew I liked you!”

Before she had a chance to ask what she was talking about, the carriage came to a stop, and the young woman quickly exited the vehicle, making sure the dragon was tucked back in her muff as a guard against the cold and snow as she made her way up to the door after she paid the cab driver.

She led them into an elegantly decorated parlour, and placed her muff on a cushion, throwing her coat over the back of a chair, before turning to them. “To business, then.” she said, gesturing to two chairs for her guests to sit in.

She sat down as well, spreading some newspapers out on the table before them. The headlines were lurid, screaming, “tenth tunnel digger disappears, police stumped”.

The Doctor leaned forward in his chair as he pulled his specs out of a pocket and slipped them on. “Well look at that.” he mused, then looked up at the woman - Catherine. He couldn’t figure her out, and it was driving him mad - well, madder than usual. She looked and acted the part of a proper Victorian lady, but there were some things - her knowing of Donna, for instance - that just didn’t add up. “You think there’s trouble?” he asked, and she rolled her eyes. 

That was another thing that was irritating. All of his companions - even Donna, even Rose - had always acted like he knew everything. Sure, it could be nice, but there were those rare moments when he didn’t know what was going on, and then they usually teased him for ages afterwards. But this one, this one was different. She acted almost as if she knew what he really was - just a madman with a box. Stuff of legends, sure. But really just a traveler, trying to do some good. He had no idea if she was a companion, or at the very least related to one - she had said that her mother had taught her Gallifreyan.

“Obviously. The only question is, what is it?” she asked. The dragon - Rosaline - had slipped out of the muff while they were getting situated, curling up next to the fireplace once more.

“What’s the matter with her?” Donna asked, pointing to the sleeping dragon. “I thought dragons were supposed to be big and violent.”

Catherine laughed softly. “Sometimes they are.” she admitted. “And she can be plenty violent when she wants to be. But she really hates the cold, and we just got back from a long trip… and she’s really more of a kitten than a dragon. Loves to curl up in warm spots and sleep the day away when she can.”

“Well, d’you think she would mind waking up long enough so that you could show us where these terrible tragedies have been occurring?” the Doctor asked.

She looked at him in outrage. “Do you really think I’m going to let you go down there alone?” she asked.

“Course not! I’ll have Donna with me!” he said, trying to sound reassuring. 

“Well as comforting as that is, I’m still coming with you. Just give me about ten minutes to get changed into something more appropriate.” she said quickly, before hurrying out of the room and up the stairs.

“I don’t think that a different skirt is going to help much!” he called after her, but she didn’t respond.

As soon as she was out of sight, the Doctor was up out of his chair, sonic in hand.

“What are you doing?” Donna hissed as he started to go around the room.

“Looking for information.” he muttered. “There’s no way she’s a human, or if she is, than she’s not from this time period.”

“D’you really think that you’re going to just find something lying around here?” Donna asked, just as he spotted a small blue book.

His hearts lept into his throat as he slowly walked over to it. As he got closer, he could make out more details - the perfect shade of TARDIS blue, the two hearts etched into the cover, surrounded by flowers. He was about to pick it up and start going through it, when that dragon was in front of him, sitting on the book.

“Come on, girl.” he crooned, hoping to get the overgrown lizard to move. “I just want to have a look, that’s all.”

But instead of moving, the creature curled up on the book, with little puffs of smoke billowing from its nostrils.

“Alright, I’m ready!” Catherine called from the doorway. The Doctor turned around, and froze.

“That’s not a skirt.” he said - rather unnecessarily. The young woman had shed her dress, and was now dressed in dark blue bell-bottom jeans, a turquoise tank top under a leather jacket, and purple high-heeled boots.

She just looked at him in amusement. “Excellent deduction, Doctor. Top of the class!” she said sarcastically. “Have you seen Victorian dresses? They're lovely, but not exactly meant for running for your life.”

“You’re not from here, are you?” Donna asked, and she gave a wry smile.

“Sorry, no.” she said, before walking over to where the Doctor was standing. She gave him a disappointed look when she saw what he was trying to do.

“You ought to know better than to look through a lady’s belongings, Doctor.” she chided. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s rude?” with that, she slipped past him, letting the dragon climb up her arm before settling on her shoulders, curling its tail over her collarbone while she picked up the book and slipped it into a pocket on her jacket.

Donna snorted a laugh. “Oh, yeah.” she said. “He just doesn’t listen.”

“Oi!”

She rolled her eyes, picking her coat up and slipping it back on, to hide her anachronistic clothing. She slipped a pair of gloves on as well, before gesturing at them to follow her. “Come on, then.” she said impatiently. “We’ve got a mystery to solve.”

And with that, she led them out once more into the snow-covered streets of Olde London Town.


	2. Chapter 2

This time Catherine threw on a large hooded cloak to hide the fact that she wasn’t properly dressed for the time period, before taking them back out into the cold streets. She didn’t bother to hail a cab, either, instead choosing to lead them through streets and back-alleys until they reached their destination.

“You’re joking.” Donna said, as she stared down at the manhole that the other redhead had opened up. “Why would we go down there?” 

“Because it’s the quickest way to get to where all of the tunnel diggers are disappearing.” she explained, already halfway into the hole. “With the least likelihood of having to explain to the police why we’re down there in the first place. Now come on!” she called out, before dropping down into the hole completely.

Donna looked over at her best friend, but as soon as she saw that manic gleam in his eyes, she already knew what he was going to say. 

“Allons-y!” and with that he disappeared, down into the hole. Donna gave a long-suffering sigh before she followed after the two. 

“You’re both completely bonkers!” 

“Most likely.” Catherine agreed, and both the Doctor and Donna heard the rumbling laughter of the dragon wrapped around her neck. Her voice echoed off of the brick walls of the tunnel, bouncing until it couldn't be heard anymore.

The sewer tunnels were dark, but warm and only slightly damp instead of cold and gross like she had expected them to be. “Hang on.” she realized. “You said that they were tunnel diggers, yeah?”

“That’s right.” Catherine said as she picked up a branch from the ground and wrapped something around it. “They were working on an extension to the Underground.”

“What made you investigate this in the first place?” the Doctor asked, looking curious. “Tunnel diggers die all the time - accidents, cave-ins, that sort of thing.”

Catherine looked uncomfortable at his questions. “Someone told me about it.” she said vaguely. “A… friend of mine who knows I like to investigate these sort of things.” 

Tha’s all well an’ good,” Donna said, “but what are we doin’ in a sewer, then?”

“It’s the quickest way there.” Catherine explained again, before holding the branch out in front of her. “Rosie, would you mind giving us a bit of light?” The dragon nodded, before climbing out onto the redhead’s outstretched arm. She let out a small burst of flames, effectively lighting the bit of fabric that she had wrapped around the stick, creating a torch.

“That’s better!” the Doctor said excitedly, reaching to grab the torch from the young woman. He stopped, though, when he saw the unimpressed look that she was giving him. “Sorry.” he said, sounding completely surprised that he was even saying the word.

“It’s alright.” she said graciously, handing him the torch before gesturing ahead. “Lead the way.”

They made it a few more feet before they came to a split in the tunnel, at which point the Time Lord stopped and looked back at them sheepishly. “Um, yes. Right. So… do either of you know where we are, or exactly where it is we’re going?”

Catherine sighed, holding her hand out for the torch, which he handed over with barely an argument. “This way!” she called out as she marched down the tunnel, brandishing the torch out in front of her. Rosaline had jumped down from her shoulders, and was now walking alongside her. The little dragon’s legs were covered in sewer water, and parts of her belly were as well. She noticed that as soon as she looked down, and she crinkled her nose. “Don’t even think about climbing back up until you’re clean.” she warned, and the dragon hissed at her.

“Don’t you sass me, young lady!” she retorted, and the Doctor and Donna could only stare at the strange conversation they were witnessing. The pair seemed to be communicating through facial expressions alone, unless…

“Oh!” the Doctor explained, beginning to piece things together. “You have a psychic link!” 

“A what?” Donna asked him. 

“A psychic link.” he said, moving closer to Catherine and beginning to scan her with his screwdriver. “Connecting their brains, so that they can communicate… without ever saying a word.”

He didn’t even realize that they had stopped moving, or how irritated the girl in front of him looked, although Donna did. The ginger-haired woman was trying hard not to laugh at the look that was on the other woman’s face, and was finding it a rather difficult task.

“Would you quit bleeping that thing at me?” the redhead asked even as she snatched the screwdriver out of the Doctor’s grip. He pouted at her until she returned it, and then continued moving through the tunnels, lifting the hem of her cloak with one hand to keep it from getting soaked. 

The Doctor stood there for a moment, just watching the girl as he waited for Donna to catch up.

“Something’s not right.” he told her, watching their new companion through narrowed eyes. “The scans say that she’s human, but she can’t be.”

Donna looked at him in confusion. “Why not?”

“Because humans don’t have the telepathic ability to create a psychic link.” he explained. “But there’s no other explanation…”

“There is if you’d bother asking.” Catherine called back to them, not even bothering to turn around.

The Doctor practically flew through the tunnels, sewage splashing over his trousers as he ran. Once he reached her side he slowed down, sticking his hands in his pockets and acting like he didn’t have a care in the world. “What’s the explanation?” 

“Sorry, can't tell you that.” She replied, keeping an eye on the walls around them.

“You said you would tell me!” The Doctor accused, huffing.

“No.” She retorted, smirking slightly. Her eyes glowed in the torchlight as she turned her head to look at him. “I said there was an explanation, that's all. I never said I would give it to you.”

“That's just cheating.” He groaned, throwing his head back. 

She laughed before she stopped, holding up a hand and motioning for them to stop moving as well.

“What is it?” the Doctor asked, craning his neck to try and see around her. 

“We’ve reached the end of the sewer tunnels.” she whispered, keeping her torch held high in the air. “This is where we switch over into the London Underground. So be careful, and watch your backs. We have no idea what could be down here.”

But that was when he noticed something flickering in her eyes. It wasn’t much, and only really lasted for a few seconds, but it was there all the same. And he knew, without a doubt, that she did know what was down in the tunnels with them - she just wasn’t going to say anything.

Which of course only brought more questions to the front of his mind.

He moved forward past her then, and this time she actually let him take the torch and lead the way. She had a little smirk on her face, though, like she knew something was coming, but didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

8888

They walked about a mile further before anything happened.

There was a clanging, scratching noise, like someone had thrown a handful of rocks against the metal rails.

“Here we go.” Catherine said under her breath, even as the Doctor brandished the torch in front of them.

“Is someone there?” he asked, and both of the redheaded women rolled their eyes at him.

But it was Donna who was the first to spot anything. She had turned around for just a moment, when she noticed a pair of blue eyes staring at her out of the darkness. They glowed slightly, reflecting the flames from the torch, and the only things that she saw in them were fear and anger.

“Doctor.” she called out softly, trying to keep from making any sudden movements or loud noises, just in case that whatever species it was was sensitive to such things.

“Yes, Donna, what is it?” he asked, but he sounded rather annoyed, like she was bothering him in her attempt to help. She felt any shred of confidence that she had in herself fading slightly at that, and couldn’t help but feel even more discouraged because of it.

I mean, you’re not special. 

The words ran through her head, completely unbidden. 

You’re not powerful, you’re not connected, you’re not clever. 

She knew that the Doctor hadn’t meant it like that. But after a lifetime of hearing those words come from everyone around her - especially her Mum - they hurt more than she would’ve liked to admit.

You’re not important.

She sighed, shaking her head. “Never mind.” she called back, and the Doctor didn’t even take the chance to acknowledge her.

“You’re wrong, you know.” Catherine said as she sidled up next to her. She had found another torch in the Underground tunnel, and had lit it with a little help from Rosaline. Now it was in her hand, making her hair appear even redder than it actually was with the firelight glinting off of it.

“What d’you mean?” Donna asked, turning to face the younger woman. She gave a small smile as the little dragon - Rosaline couldn’t have been any bigger than a cat - flapped her wings and gently lifted herself up into the air before settling on Donna’s shoulder. She ran a hand over her scales, amazed at the steely softness of them.

“You’re not stupid.” the other woman said gently, and Donna could feel her face heating up. So of course, she did the first thing that came to mind - she started yelling.

“Who d’you think you are, missy?” she snapped. “Going through my head like that?” Of course, she had no proof that that was what had happened, but considering that she traveled with the Doctor… she had learned by now that the stranger an idea was, the more likely it was true.

“Oh!” the redhead said as her eyes went wide, like she hadn’t expected that response. “Oh, no - that’s not what happened, I promise. Not at all.”

She looked at her in confusion. “Then how…?”

“How did I know what you were thinking?” she asked, and Donna nodded. “Because I used to think the same things.” the dragon - Rosaline - made a sound almost like a cat purring, and nodded her head, like she knew exactly what they were talking about. “But it wasn’t true for me, and it’s not true for you. Where I grew up, Donna, you're a legend.”

She probably would have said more if Rosaline hadn’t hissed and jumped off of Donna’s shoulders, landing with a flap of her wings in front of them. She hissed again, and opened her mouth as if she was about to breath fire, but then stopped.

“What is it?” Catherine asked, and then she saw what had gotten Donna’s attention in the first place - the blue eyes that sparked with life and fury in the glow of the torchlight. “Oh.” she said slowly, grabbing ahold of Donna’s arm and pulling her behind her. “Doctor!”

She didn't manage to get anything else out before the creature jumped out at her in a flash of scales and claws.

8888

Catherine couldn’t help but grin slightly when she caught her first glimpse of those blue eyes shining out of the darkness. She knew those eyes, probably better than she knew her own parents’ eyes at times.

But then she noticed the fear and loathing in them, and she remembered something very important: she might’ve known those eyes, but they didn’t know her yet. Which meant that both she and Donna were in danger. She knew that she didn’t have to worry about Rosaline at all - the feisty little dragon could take care of herself just fine. If anything, she might be taken out in an attempt to save us - her ferocity was only matched by her over-protectiveness.

“Doctor!” Catherine called out, refusing to take her eyes off of the eyes that stared out of the darkness. “I think Donna found what we’re looking for.” She heard the sound of trainers on the gravel floor of the tunnel, but it was already too late. She pushed Donna backwards, ignoring the shout of protest from the 21st century woman.

“Get off of her!” the Doctor shouted angrily, and she sighed. She still didn’t know what to make of this new face of his - or rather, this old one. She vaguely remembered meeting him before, but it had been so long ago now that she barely remembered any of it. While each face had its own set of difficulties attached to it, this one was even worse than most. This face… it had a whole other set of grief-filled circumstances attached to it. She was trying her best to be kind to him, to do what her mum would’ve wanted her to, but it was so hard to do.

This Doctor was still so raw and full of grief both from the Time War and from losing Rose Tyler… he focused in too much on the little details, and was willing to send the rest of the universe to hell if it meant that his specific people were alright. But at the same time, he was so suspicious of everything around him. She knew the stories, she had learned them at her mother’s knee of just how bad he could be - the Time Lord Victorious, Destroyer of Worlds. But she never expected to have to learn how to deal with this face on her own.

She was pulled out of her musings by the man himself.

“Oh, hello there!” the Doctor said happily, holding his torch out in an attempt to get a better look at the creature standing in the shadows. “Sorry about the intrusion, but… are you the one who's been making people disappear?” 

Both women shot him looks of disbelief - he guessed that it was because he had just come out and said it like that. Of course, he wasn’t sure if that really was what Catherine was thinking, but he’d had enough experience with Donna by now to know what that look meant. 

“I am, ape.” A voice hissed out from the shadows. The word ‘ape’ was practically dripping with disdain. 

“Oi!” Donna cried, sounding outraged. “Who’re you callin’ an ape?” 

“You, primitive mammal.” the voice sneered, and then there was a pause before it spoke again. “Although... your companions, they smell… different. They reek of the stench of Time.”

“Why?” the Doctor asked, continuing their conversation and filing away that bit of information to look at later. “And why won’t you show your face?”

“Why did I kill them?” The voice asked, and there was just the barest hint of sadness in it. “Because they killed my sisters as they slept, and so I took my revenge.”

“Why don’t you come out of the shadows?” Catherine offered quietly. She took a step forward so that she was standing in front of the Doctor, instead of being shoved behind him. “We won’t hurt you, I promise.” Rosaline made a purring sound again, before chirping quickly three times in a row. The dragon was communicating with the stranger, although neither the Doctor or Donna could translate it.

The person in the shadows stepped out in the torchlight then, and both of the women gasped, although for different reasons. Donna gasped because of the scaly green face that stared haughtily at them. Large crests covered its head in something that almost resembled some sort of ornate headgear instead of hair, and from what the woman could see, it appeared as though the alien’s entire body was covered in scales. 

Catherine gasped because of the large gash covered part of the newcomer’s abdomen. Blood was slowly leaking out of it, covering the silvery skin tight suit that she was wearing.

“Homo reptilia.” the Doctor said, sounding awed. “Oh, you are beautiful!”

“What?” Donna asked, baffled. “What’s that in English?”

This time, it was Catherine who answered. “Silurian.” she said, her voice tinged with respect even as she kept her eyes trained on the gash in her side.

8888

They managed to get back to 13 Paternoster Row after that by covering the Silurian with the cloak that Catherine had been wearing on the way there. The willowy red head was fussing over their newest companion throughout the duration of their trip, and Rosaline had curled herself around the lizard woman’s - for the Silurian was clearly female - neck, helping to keep both of them insulated from the chill of an English winter.

Once they got back inside, Catherine practically commanded the Doctor to go and start up the fire while she and Donna got their new guest situated. Rosaline was refusing to untangle herself from around the Silurian’s neck, causing her to mutter about ‘silly dragons’. They finally managed to get the scaly woman seated in the parlor, at which point Catherine went running upstairs, saying she’d be right back.

That left Donna sitting there with the woman, unsure of what to say. The other woman was staring into the fireplace as she absently stroked Rosaline’s scales, a small smile forming on her face.

“I’m Donna, by the way.” she said, feeling the need to say something, anything, just to break the silence that had fallen. “Donna Noble.”

The woman stiffened for a moment, but Rosaline let out another soft click, and she relaxed. “I am Vastra.” she said slowly, turning to look at Donna. Although she no longer looked like she was plotting murder, there was still something about the way that the reptile woman held herself that had Donna fearing for her safety.

“Sorry, but…” Donna paused for a moment, unsure as to how she should phrase her question. “What planet are you from?”

Vastra made a low, throaty sound that took a moment for the redhead to register as laughter - she wasn’t expecting the sound, given how sullen and hostile she had been so far. Rosaline cracked open one eye, frowning as she was jostled around slightly as the woman laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Donna asked.

“My people are an ancient race that long predates humanity in their mastery of the Earth.” she said, and then her smile turned feral. “My sisters and I would hunt your ancestors for sport, ape.” she hissed.

“Vastra!” Catherine called out sharply, causing both of the women to turn around. The young redhead stood in the doorway, a look of absolute fury painted on her face. Rosaline had flown off of the Silurian’s shoulders as soon as she heard her. The green dragon came to a stop next to the red head, curling her tail around the woman’s leg, narrowing her yellow eyes at them. 

The Silurian warrior hissed out her displeasure at losing her scaly companion.

“Oh stop it, you overgrown lizard.” Catherine countered, a hint of teasing in her voice as she made her way across the room to where Vastra was sitting. She knelt down in front of the woman and pulled open the futuristic-looking skin tight suit that she was wearing. “Now hold still - this won’t hurt a bit.”

It only took a second for her to get the strange-looking contraption she was holding to work, but once it was finished, the large gash was healed completely without a mark left behind. Vastra jumped in her chair, letting out a pain-filled hiss.

“There, you see? I lied.” Catherine said, giving a tight-lipped smile.

“What is that?” Donna asked, pointing to the device. 

“What, this?” she asked, holding out the device for inspection. “It’s called a dermal regenerator. Basically, it fixes any cuts quickly, with no scarring at all.”

That was when the Doctor spoke up from where he was seated in the corner. “Now then, play nice with Donna. She’s one of the least irritating humans I’ve met, and you’re going to be dealing with them a lot from now on.”

Both women reacted at the same time - Donna by shouting “Oi!” and Vastra by just looking shocked.

“You expect me to live amongst the apes that murdered my sisters?” she asked, looking more and more horrified by the second. She sank back into the chair, unable to stay on her feet. Rosaline hadn’t even waited a second before heading back over to Vastra, this time curling up in a ball on her lap, purring like a kitten when the lizard woman ran a hand over her scales.

“I’m sorry.” Catherine said. “But you have to. This is the time period that you are meant to be in.”

“Who are you to be the judge of that?” the Silurian hissed. “You would condemn me to stay here?”

What happened next was something that Donna would never forget.

The younger redhead looked right at the Silurian, and said a single word. “Family.”

8888

Once that revelation was done with, it took very little effort on their part to get the newly dubbed Madame Vastra set up in Number Thirteen Paternoster Row. It had taken only a day - with liberal use of the psychic paper - to get all the necessary paperwork completed to get Vastra a job assisting Scotland Yard with some of their more difficult cases. Catherine had promised to stay with her for the first few weeks before going back home, and the Doctor was so baffled by that point at her behavior that he didn’t even bother to try and question her about where exactly ‘home’ was.

The Doctor and Donna only stayed in London for another day or two after they had found Vastra, and on the morning of their departure Catherine escorted them back to where they had left the TARDIS. She had refused to let the Doctor go back for it alone, saying that he most likely would have left them all in his hurry to leave even the tiny bits of domesticity behind. In Donna’s opinion, she was right, and she wasn't afraid to say so.

She had donned another period dress for the occasion, although she was still having trouble with convincing the Silurian to wear them - something about her movement being restricted seemed to be the main issue. This one was made from a deep blue silk, with white lace around the neck and arms. It flowed down to the floor in layers, with a bustle and corset forming her figure. However, the majority of the dress was hidden by the hooded cloak she wore - both to keep herself warm and to hide the dragon that had settled around her shoulders once again.

“So, I suppose this is good-bye, then.” Catherine murmured, sounding saddened by the prospect. The Doctor rocked back and forth on his heels, staring at her intently. Donna had already headed inside of the TARDIS, after giving the younger redhead one last hug.

“I suppose it is.” he finally said. “Unless… I don’t suppose you’d want to join us?”

The surprise on her face was nearly comical. “What?”

“All of time and space, right through those doors.” he said, beginning to babble as he tried to tempt her on board. “Well… right through those doors and a trip through the Vortex. Still, you’ve more than proven yourself, I think. So what d’you say?”

She just stared at him for a minute, and the Doctor was starting to worry that she had been sent into shock by the sheer amazingness of his offer… when she burst out laughing. She ignored the scandalized looks of passers-by as her laughter grew, until she was doubled over by it.

“What? What is it, what’s so funny?” the Doctor asked, sounding insulted.

It took her another few minutes to calm down, but when she did she stood back up and answered him. “Sorry, it’s just… does that speech really work? All of time and space and all that? Do people really fall for it?”

“Usually, yeah.” He muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck. He continued to look at her laughing for another minute or so, before managing to splutter out, “Who are you?”

She laughed one more time before smirking at him and saying one word that had his pulse racing with the promise of mystery and adventure.

“Spoilers.”

And with that, she turned around and disappeared down the crowded London street, vanishing from view in a few seconds.


	3. Chapter 3

She was panicking. Definitely panicking.

The plan had been to meet up with her sister for a lovely party in pre-revolutionary France, shortly after the death of Madame de Pompadour. Unfortunately, things had gone horribly wrong - as usual.

At the moment, instead of fixing her lipstick in a powder room at Versailles, Catherine was being held captive by the Lila’n people of Retraxi V and worshipped as a goddess. That in itself might not have been that bad if she wasn’t already aware of how they treated their goddesses.

They burnt them at the stake, to free them from their mortal bodies so that they might return to the heavens where they belonged. 

Normally, she would have been able to escape without any trouble - that was one of the benefits of having a fiercely protective dragon at your side. Especially once she considered that the building that they were being held in was about as flammable as a small wooden hut would be. One good hit from dragon fire would have had it up in flames in no time at all. However, Rosie had been injured when they were first captured, and now she was in danger of being burned alive and losing her best friend at the same time.

She could have fought her way out, or just teleported them to pre-revolutionary France - where they were supposed to be - if the Lila’ni hadn’t taken both her blaster and Vortex Manipulator, along with the clothes that she had been wearing. They had given her new ones of course, but she wasn’t all that keen on them. They were a bit too revealing compared to what she preferred to wear these days, not to mention that they were sacrificial robes. The Lila’n who brought her food a couple of times a day had let it slip that it was almost time for sacrifices to be made.

Which meant that there was only one thing left that she could do.

Call for the Doctor, and hope that he wasn’t running late for once.

8888

The Doctor’s P.O.V.

“Right then!” The Doctor said happily as he threw open the TARDIS doors, striding outside with his coat flapping behind him. “Welcome to Melissa Majoria. This is where most of Earth’s bees come from, Donna, remember…?” He trailed off as a wave of sadness washed over him. Donna wasn’t with him anymore - she didn’t even remember that he existed anymore. There were times when he forgot that. Then he would remember, and the pain would come rushing back like nothing he had ever felt before. Except maybe losing Rose… he shook his head, trying to get rid of the depressing thoughts.

But he was all alone now. Not to mention… “This isn’t Melissa Majoria.” The Doctor mused as he took in his surroundings. It was a large desert planet, covered in burnt umber dust and dark red rocks, with a magenta sky and a single red sun looming in the sky. The air was hot and dry, and even as he stood there, small green humanoids were appearing all around him, having used their species camouflaging abilities to blend into their surroundings until they were close enough for their plasma bolts to be deadly. “Oh…” he said as he realized exactly where the TARDIS had landed. “This is Retraxi V… I’d say around the early 3000s. That’s… that’s really not good.” The Lila’ni hadn’t yet reached the point of interplanetary travel, and their planet was so far away from the rest of the Intergalactic Confederation that no one else had traveled there yet, either. Even the nearby planets had yet to invent space-faring vehicles of any kind. Which meant that the few cases of people getting stranded here by accident ended the same way every time - they were proclaimed as gods and goddesses, and then burned alive in a truly beautiful ceremony.

He continued to think about the details of that ceremony as the Lila’ni led him back to their village, getting more and more excited before he remembered that he wouldn’t be watching the ceremony - he would be the sacrifice.

Eventually, they reached their village, where they wasted no time in shoving him into their temple - a large, ornate building made from some sort of glowing stone and decorated with images of their gods and goddesses.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, a small figure flew at him, throwing themself into his arms so that they both landed on the floor with a thud.

“Doctor!” the person said happily, squeezing him tightly around the middle. “Thank goodness you’re here - I don’t suppose you’ve ever done surgery on a dragon before, have you?”

“Catherine?” he asked, recognizing the voice.

“Oh good.” she said, sounding relieved even as she pulled away from him. “You know who I am.”

“What are you wearing?” was the first thing that he asked, looking at her curiously. She had on a strange looking outfit made up of a decorated tunic and skirt in reds and golds. Her red hair had been pulled back into hundreds of tiny braids, and her face had been painted with geometric designs in some sort of ink.

“Sacrificial robes.” she explained, grimacing slightly as she rubbed her hands over her bare arms. “They took my blaster and my vortex manipulator when they took my clothes. Rosie and I have been stuck here for several days now.”

“That explains how you ended up here - the Vortex Manipulator. Rosaline’s here?” the Doctor babbled as he shrugged off his tan overcoat, handing it to her to put on. “Excellent, a fire-breathing dragon is exactly what we need right about now.” Then his ears caught up to his brain, and he remembered what she had said earlier. “Why do you need me to do surgery on a dragon?”

Catherine pulled on the coat, wrapping it tightly around her as she gave him a small smile. Her worry and fear was clearly evident in the set of her shoulders and the stiff way she held her limbs. She led him across the room to where a small cot had been pushed up against the wall. There was a piled mountain of blankets on top of it, and she started going through the pile. “She’s in here somewhere.” she mumbled, screwing her face up as she looked. “She was getting really cold, and so I was hoping that covering her up might help her inner… inner flame.” she looked so depressed that the Doctor couldn’t help but try and cheer her up.

“She’ll be okay, I promise.” he said, staring straight at her. He was trying to be reassuring, but was failing miserably.

She just smiled sadly. “You’re lying.”

“What?” he blustered, screwing his face up in disbelief. “No, no, of course I’m not!”

She just laughed, and even though it was tinged with sadness he was still glad to hear it. “Yes you are! You’re not blinking, its one of your tells. It’s also kind of creepy.”

“Alright.” he admitted. “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything unless we make it back to the TARDIS in time.” 

That was when she finally reached the last layer, peeling it back to reveal the little dragon nestled in the blankets. 

The Doctor couldn’t help but hum in appreciation when he saw her. Small green scales glittered like jade and emerald, and she cracked open one yellow eye to glare at him half-heartedly. “Oh look at you.” The Doctor crooned, pulling his specs out of his pocket and slipping them onto his face. He nearly winced when he saw the large gash in the dragon's scales, but stopped himself just in time. The dragon shifted slightly, slowly blinking awake.

“Oh, it’s you.” Rosaline growled, making the Doctor jump back slightly in surprise. “Just what we need.”

“Rosie, don't be rude.” Catherine chided.

“You can talk!” he exclaimed, causing Catherine and Rosaline to laugh.

“It’s getting her to stop talking that can be an issue.” she said, shaking her head and sending her braids flying. “Seriously. She never stops.”

“Oh, hush up, you.” the dragon retorted, carefully shifting to pull her wings out from where they had been pinned. “Like you’re any better.”

“Right.” the Doctor said, interrupting their little moment of banter. “Can I help her now, or are you going to keep talking?” 

Catherine smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Come on then, Doc.” Rosie croaked, her throat scratchy and voice quiet from not talking for several days. “Fix me, or it'll be you who's stuck with her.” she teased.

Both of the people in the room laughed, although it was obviously forced. “Nah, you’ll be fine.” the Doctor said cheerfully, pulling a large device out of his pocket. He quickly scanned her stomach, closing up the hole in it. “There. Dermal regenerator, quick fix.” He cheered, sticking the medical tool back into his pocket. “That should last until we get to the TARDIS, but she really shouldn't fly much.”

Catherine nodded, looking more determined than he had ever seen her before - not that that counted for much, considering he had only met her once before. “Right then.” She said, moving over to the cot and ripping up the blankets, quickly creating a sling of sorts for her to carry Rosaline in without moving her around too much. “How are we going to get out of here?”

The Doctor gave a madcap grin. “I have a plan.”

It was strange, he thought, the different reactions that people could have to the same set of words. Most of the time his companions looked reassured whenever he told them that he had a plan. Catherine just groaned, putting her head in her hands.

“Can you explain this plan without using the words ‘sonic’ or ‘screwdriver’, because as you may remember, the Lila’ni took your screwdriver.” Catherine said, looking equal parts frustrated and amused as the Doctor's face fell. “Thought not.” She stretched, making sure that she still had her full range of motion even with Rosaline strapped to her front like she was in a baby carrier. “And they took my blaster, so it's not like we can fight our way out.”

She noticed the way his expression had darkened when she mentioned fighting, and rolled her eyes. “Not that you'd have let me use it, anyways…” she muttered under her breath. She had completely forgotten how stringent this particular regeneration was about guns - while all versions of the Doctor hated them, this was the only version that she had met who refused to talk to anyone carrying a gun.

“Can we get out of here now?” Rosaline asked, readying her flame. “Or are you two going to keep bickering?”

Catherine nodded, moving towards the barred doors. “It shouldn't take much.” She said quickly, her hands fluttering as she spoke. “Just a quick burst, so don't wear yourself out.”

“Yes, mum.” The dragon sassed, before letting loose a steady stream of flames. The door slowly melted, but after a few seconds they didn't need any more heat. They just stood and watched while the door disappeared - or rather, the Doctor watched. Catherine was too busy fussing over the dragon that was still cradled to her chest.

As soon as the doors were mostly melted, the Doctor grabbed ahold of her hand, pulling her out through the opening they had just made. They made it halfway down the street, only to be stopped by several soldiers. The Doctor and Catherine froze for a second, before he reached out and grabbed ahold of her hand, yanking her along behind him.

“Run!” he shouted, feet pounding against the rocky terrain. Catherine followed along behind him, and he could hear Rosie’s protests from where she was strapped to the redhead's front, bouncing with every step.

By the time they made it to the outskirts of the village, there was an entire platoon’s worth of soldiers coming after them.

“We're not going to make it, Doctor.” Catherine warned, checking behind her to see the natives closing in fast.

“Got any brilliant ideas on how to stall them?” The Doctor calls back.

“Yeah, actually. Rosie?” Catherine asked, the dragon clutching onto her front with her thin claws as they ran. 

The Doctor looked back at them just in time to catch the creature rolling her eyes, a small puff of smoke coming out of her nostrils. “Let me guess, angry goddess?”

Catherine nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. “Angry goddess.” She confirmed.

Rosaline sighed, as she pulled herself out of the harness before launching herself in the sky. She moved so quickly that she was nothing more than a green blur, and Catherine winced - while the dermal regenerator made it so she wasn’t bleeding out any longer, flying at those speeds wasn’t going to help her at all either.

“What are you doing?” The Doctor yelled back at them. He wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Just watch.” She smirked before spinning around, thrusting out her hand and yelling at the top of her lungs. “Halt!”

The Doctor watched in surprise as the Lila’ni actually did as she said, looking confused. Although they kept their weapons pointed at the pair, they did stop moving.

“You have angered your goddess.” She said ominously, her eyes flashing as she crossed her arms across her chest. “My servant has arrived to take me back into the heavens, and yet you still try and burn us. A thousand curses upon you!” She thrust out her both of her hands, and fire rained down from the sky.

The Doctor stifled a grin. Catherine was a tall woman - around 5’10, if he had to guess - and the heels on her feet made her appear even taller. She towered over the short Lila’ni, and with Rosaline sending down spurts of fire from above, she really did look like a vengeful goddess. Then he realized what she said. “Wha… servant?”

She shot him a look, as though to say ‘button it.’

“If you insist on keeping us here,” she continued, turning back to the Lila’ni, “then I will be forced to destroy you.” her eyes were full of fire, but her lips kept twitching like she wanted to smile. The Doctor couldn't help but stare at her incredulously. They were in danger of being killed at any second if this didn't work. And she was enjoying every second of it.

“Now leave!” She commanded, and Rosie shot down another torrent of fire. The Lila’ni scattered, running back to their village. 

8888

“Just out of curiosity…” the Doctor asked, once they were safely inside the TARDIS. He was still slumped against the door, while the redhead was heading towards the corridor - he assumed for the medbay. “How often do you have to do that… that ‘angry goddess’ thing to actually have a plan for it?”

Catherine laughed, but it was Rosie who answered, sounding completely exhausted. “You probably don't want to know the answer to that.”

“Now come on, Doctor.” Catherine said, disappearing down the hallway. “We’ve got a dragon to help.”

8888

Rosaline took off into the air, doing a lap or two around the medical bay before landing on Catherine's shoulders, wrapping her tail around the redhead’s neck.

“There!” The Doctor exclaimed, rocking back on his heels as he shoved his hands back into his pockets. “Good as new!”

Rosaline snorted, but didn't say anything as she buried herself behind a curtain of Catherine’s hair.

The girl in question gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you, Doctor.” She said. She had changed back into normal clothes - bell-bottom jeans, purple boots, and a t-shirt - but her hair was still in the hundreds of tiny braids that it had been put in when she was first brought in as a sacrifice. They had retrieved both her blaster and her Vortex Manipulator from the Lila’ni with a little help from the Old Girl - something that irritated the Doctor, judging by the aggravated looks he kept giving the items.

“Where'd you get a Vortex Manipulator, anyway? Did you steal it?” He asked, only half kidding as they made their way back out to the console room.

But she shook her head, her somber expression letting him know that it was a sensitive subject. “No, it was my mum's. She gave it to me before she died.” Rosaline wrapped herself just a little bit tighter around Catherine's shoulders, nuzzling her cheek against her friend's.

He winced, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I'm… sorry, I didn't know.” 

But she shook her head, forcing a smile on her face. “Its alright, not your fault. You couldn't have known, not really.”

“Was she a Time Agent, your mum?” The Doctor asked, looking curious.

“Nope.”

“Then how did she get the, the Vortex Manipulator?” He asked, and she grinned.

Her eyes glinted with mischief as she answered. “Stole it from a Time Agent.”

“Where are you off to now?” He asked, trying to keep from looking like he was prying too much.

“Versailles, I think.” She said, flipping open the cover of her manipulator and beginning to put in the coordinates needed. “That's where I was heading when this happened, but I think the coordinates slipped.”

Then she stopped. “Doctor,” she began slowly, carefully. It took her a minute to work up the courage to ask the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since he was shoved into the temple with her. “Where's Donna?”

His smile faded almost instantly, and she sighed. “She's gone, isn't she?” 

He made his way around the console, flipping a few switches before answering. “Yes.” His voice was dark and ominous, and she shivered. She had only heard that tone from him once before, centuries ago.

“Are you alone?” the worry in her voice made him stop and look at her. She managed to hide most of her expression with a carefully blank look, but there was still a bit of tightness at the corner of her eyes that let him know just how worried she was. “No one should travel alone.”

“Who do you travel with, then?” He asked, forcing light into his tone.

“Rosie, of course. All of Time and Space at our fingertips.” She smiled, reaching a hand up to trail her fingers over the dragon's crest. “The only way to travel.”

“You should find someone, Doctor.” Rosie said, her normal teasing gone. “You don’t do well alone.”

He just gave a sound of acknowledgement, moving around the console some more.

Rosie and Catherine shared a look - they knew that they weren’t going to be able to get through to him. “Alright.” Catherine said tentatively. “Goodbye, Doctor.”

With a flash of light and a hint of static, they were gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Deep in the middle of the jungle, a lone woman stood, swinging her machete to clear herself a path through the dense vegetation. She missed her target when the theme for James Bond started playing, the edge of her blade getting stuck in the side of a tree instead of cutting through the vines she was aiming for. She grunted, giving one hard tug to get it out before pausing to answer the call.

“Brigadier.” she said in greeting, taking a second to breathe. She leaned back against the trunk of a tree, quickly checking to make sure nothing was lurking on the bark.

“Hello, Catherine.” the redhead smiled at the sound of the familiar voice on the other end of the line. “How could you have possibly known it was me?”

“We really need to get you updated on technology, Sir Alistair.” she laughed. “I’m assuming this isn’t a social call?” she asked, smiling into the receiver. She pulled it away from her mouth for a second, letting out a piercing whistle. 

“Now, what makes you assume that?” the Brigadier asked, fake hurt obvious in his voice.

“You don’t really do social calls,” she informed him, smirking slightly. She looked up when she heard the rustling of the canopy above her, her free hand drifting towards the blaster that was strapped to her leg. She relaxed a second later when she saw a pair of familiar yellow eyes glinting in the light. Rosie flew down, curling her body around Catherine’s shoulders. “Except for that one time for my birthday, but even that was partially a work thing.”

“When was this?” the Brigadier sighed, and she winced. Apparently, he was calling her from the past - which made sense considering that in her present, he was no longer in charge of UNIT. The TARDIS routed all calls through the Time Vortex - that was how different people could call the Doctor and still get the version of him that they expected to get, even if he was in a completely different time period than the one that they were in.

“Spoilers?” The young woman offered, smiling awkwardly even though she knew that the Brigadier couldn’t see it.

The old soldier sighed in fond exasperation. “Well, if you’re not too busy with whatever it is you’re doing, I’ve got something for you that’s just up your alley.” 

Catherine smiled. “Lovely - thanks for thinking of me.” She flipped open the lid of her Vortex Manipulator before pausing. “Er, when exactly is the situation?” she asked sheepishly.

Alistair chuckled - it wouldn’t have surprised her in the slightest if he somehow knew exactly what had just happened. “The date is April 12, 2009; we’re in London, in the Gladwell Road Tunnel. I’ll let Dr. Taylor explain the rest to you when you arrive.”

“Thanks.” she said, quickly calculating the spacio-temporal coordinates needed. “Are we still on for tea Saturday?”

“Of course, my dear.” The Brig replied. “Doris and I are looking forward to more of your adventures.”

"Is Kate coming?" she asked, pausing. It had been years in her timeline since she had last seen the blonde woman, and she missed her dry sense of humor and no-nonsense attitude.

"If she's not too busy with whatever it is the Science Department is cooking up these days."

“Brilliant. Goodbye, Sir Alistair.” She said, then hung up the phone. She turned to look at Rosaline, a smirk on her scaly face.

“What is it?” The redhead asked, already slightly dreading the answer.

“Nothing.” the dragon replied, a little too innocently. “It’s just… whatever happened to staying on the outside and not interfering?”

“I know.” she groaned, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. “But you know I can’t tell him no. It’s practically genetic to help that man out.”

“And the rest of it?” Rosaline asked, not looking impressed. 

“Paradox.” was the only response she gave to the cat-sized reptile. “If we don’t go, Rassilon only knows what would happen. Now, can we go help the Brig?”

The only answer that the dragon gave was a sigh and a nod.

8888

UNIT was already at the scene when she arrived at the edge of the tunnel, appearing out of nowhere. Luckily, she was behind the guards that had been stationed facing the inside of the tunnel, because if she had landed in front of them they most likely would have shot her on sight.  
Soldiers in black tactical gear with those ridiculous red berets on their heads were swarming everywhere, guns in hand. They continued to secure the area, and Catherine waited for them to notice her standing there. 

In the past, she would have fought for their attention, jumping right into the thick of things. There was nothing that she had hated more than being left on the sidelines, unable to do anything but watch. These days, however, she almost preferred watching - she still loved the rush of adrenaline that went hand-in-hand with running for your life, of course. But there was something just as thrilling about piecing together the puzzle from the outside. It gave her a perspective that she normally wouldn't have, a look at the entire playing field.

Not to mention that these days she had as much fun just watching history unfold around her as she did actually getting involved. 

Finally, one of the soldiers noticed her. He walked towards her, gun still loosely held in his hands. “I’m sorry miss, but you’ll have to clear the area.” Confusion passed over his face when he noticed her clothes - she was still wearing her khakis and hiking boots from her trek in the jungle, and it was barely four degrees out. 

She smiled at him, snickering slightly at the telepathic comment that Rosie sent her.

_Just mess with him a bit._ The dragon suggested, teasing. _Tell him you're from Explorers Monthly or something._

_Or I could just tell him why we're really here._ She sent back, laughter in her voice. She turned to the soldier, flashing him a quick smile. “Hello! I'm the Angel,” she said, giving him the title of sorts that she used whenever she dealt with UNIT. With her timelines as mixed up as they were, it was in her best interests to keep as few people as possible from knowing her name. There were enough people in the early 21st century who knew who she really was - she didn't need all of UNIT knowing as well. Not to mention she didn't fully trust UNIT, not anymore.

But he just looked confused. “I'm sorry, ma'am. You'll have to clear the area.” 

She sighed, rolling her eyes for a moment. But then she froze as he grabbed a hold of her arm, intent on escorting her out. 

“Please let go of me, now.” She said, her voice going hard.

Of course, he didn't listen. “Ma'am, you need to clear the area.” He repeated, tugging on her arm. He froze when he heard a low growling sound - almost like the earth itself was angry at him. A pair of yellow eyes stared out of the nearby shadows at him, making him go slightly pale. 

“Please let go.” Catherine said again, her back to the strange yellow eyes. “Right now.”

“There's a thing -” the soldier pulled on her again, still trying to make her move. That was the wrong move to make.

Catherine sighed as a tiny ball of fury and actual flames launched out of the shadows, ramming into the soldier and knocking him onto the ground. The soldier yelped, flailing a bit as she dug her claws into the front of his uniform. Rosaline stuck her nose right in his face, smoke billowing out of her nostrils and yellow eyes glowing

“Sorry about that - she's very protective.” she said, looking down at the terrified soldier. He barely acknowledged her, too focused on the dragon that was still sitting on his chest. “Whoever’s in charge would be... over there, yeah?”

The soldier nodded. “Thanks.” She said, starting to walk away. She waited until she was far enough away that he wouldn't try grabbing her again before she called out.

“Come on, Rosie! We don't want to miss the fun.” With one last growl, the dragon flew into the air, whizzing over to perch herself on Catherine’s shoulder.

“Did you have to be so hard on him?” Catherine asked, one hand on the door of the scientific trailer as she looked at the creature perched on her shoulder.

The dragon snorted. “Oh please. That was nothing, and you know it.” 

Catherine rolled her eyes. “Still. There's no need to terrify the baby soldiers.”

“Then they need to keep their hands to themselves.” Rosaline argued, flicking the ginger's cheek with the end of her tail.

“You're right.” Catherine sighed. “Thank you.”

The dragon let out a sound that was suspiciously close to a purr as she draped herself around the redhead’s shoulders. “Of course, Mira.” she whispered in her ear.

The redhead smiled at the old name, before pushing open the door. There was a man inside, with round Harry Potter glasses and a labcoat on. “Hello?” she called out, peering her head around the door. The man looked up at her in surprise.

“Who’re you?” he asked, looking at her in surprise. Evidently, he hadn’t expected anyone to be interrupting him. 

“My name’s Angel, the Brig sent me to help out.” she told him, coming into the trailer and shutting the door behind her. “I don’t suppose you have an extra coat or something, do you? It’s freezing out here, and I’m not exactly dressed for the weather.”

“Oh, yes.” the man said, climbing out of his chair. He looked around awkwardly for a minute, before spotting a large woolen jumper that someone had left behind. He handed it to her and she slipped it on, rolling up the sleeves a bit so that she could still use her hands.

“Thank you, Doctor…” she trailed off, unsure of what to call him.

“Oh! Yes, Doctor Taylor.” he said, offering her his hand. “Doctor Malcolm Taylor.”

“Oh brilliant.” she said, shaking his hand. “The Brigadier told me to find you when I arrived. He said you could fill me in on what exactly was happening here.”

“Well…” Doctor Taylor began, looking nervous.

“Right then.” she said, cracking her knuckles as she settled down in front of a computer, pulling up scans of the wormhole. Rosaline had flown up to the top of a shelving unit, curling up there and watching them work through half-closed eyes. “Let’s get started.”


	5. Chapter 5

They had barely gotten through a single spreadsheet worth of data when a black woman in her late thirties came into the scientific center. She wasn't a usual UNIT grunt, that much was made obvious from the dress uniform that she wore. A phone was clutched tightly in one hand, her eyes wide in shock.

_She’s got Doctor-shock._ Rosie said, her telepathic words tinged with amusement. Catherine stifled her own laugh, trying to keep from being noticed for as long as possible.

“It's the Doctor.” The woman, whose name tag read ‘CAPT. MAGAMBO’, held out the phone in her hand, offering it to Dr. Taylor.

The eccentric scientist didn’t even bother to turn around, instead addressing his words to the screen in front of him. “No, I'm all right now, thanks. It was just a bit of a sore throat. Although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice.” 

Catherine giggled from where she sat in the corner, drawing the other woman’s attention. “Who the hell are you?” the woman asked, her hand moving towards the firearm strapped to her waist. “How the hell did you get in here?”

“Who’s there?” the Doctor called out, his voice sounding slightly tinny from the speaker. His question was ignored, however, as Captain Magambo tried to get their scientific advisor to realize exactly who he was talking to while simultaneously deciding if the redheaded woman was a threat or not.

“Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart sent me to consult.” Catherine said - that was all the information that she was willing to give on the subject. Luckily, the other woman seemed to accept it.

“Fine.” Magambo said, working hard to keep from rolling her eyes as she turned back to Dr Taylor. Apparently she had decided that the more pressing issue was the person on the phone. “It's the Doctor.” this time, the capital letter was audible, and Dr. Taylor looked up in awe. 

“Do you mean the Doctor Doctor?” he asked, sounding slightly awed.

Catherine was just confused. “Why's he calling?” she wondered. She tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear, exchanging a look with Rosaline. The Doctor making a phone call wasn't as odd as it might have been once upon a time, but it was still a little strange to have him talking over the phone instead of just flying there in the TARDIS.

“He’s on the bus.” 

“Just to be clear,” Catherine said, already feeling the urge to bury her head in her hands, “you’re talking about the bus that got sucked through the wormhole, yeah? He couldn’t have been on some other bus heading to Heathrow, maybe? Or bloody Aberdeen?”

“Yes ma’am.” Capt. Magambo said. She wasn’t sure who this woman was, although the poor girl looked practically frozen in the clothes that she was wearing. But if the General had sent her - and she knew him well enough to call him Brigadier, which was something only Benton and Yates got away with these days - then she was clearly not someone to mess about with.

“I know.” Erisa Magambo said, turning her attention back to the excitable scientist and trying to calm him down. “We all want to meet him one day, but we all know what that day will bring.” the captain said gravely.

“I can hear everything you're saying.” the Doctor said, his tone completely dry. Both the captain and the scientist looked slightly embarrassed at having been caught obsessing over the Time Lord.

“Leave them be, Doctor.” Catherine said, thoroughly unimpressed. She had been dealing with the Time Lord’s antics for nearly four centuries by this point, and had almost developed an immunity to them. “You’re the one whose stranded on another planet right now.” she muttered.

_Would you relax please?_ Rosaline asked impatiently. _Your temper is irritating me._

_I’m sorry._ Catherine replied. _But don’t you feel it? There’s something massive on the other side of that wormhole, and its coming straight for earth. Being a bit prickly is keeping me moving._

Dr. Taylor took the phone in one hand. “Hello, Doctor?” he held the phone like it would explode if he held it too tightly, much to the amusement of the time travellers in the room.

“Yes hello?” the Doctor asked, sounding impatient. 

“Oh, my goodness!” Doctor Taylor gushed excitedly, looking like Christmas and his birthday had come early and on the same day. His eyes were lit up, an easy grin was taking over his face - it would have been much more adorable if they weren't trying to figure out a way to keep the wormhole from taking over all of London.

“Yes, I am. Hello, Malcolm.”

“The Doctor.” Malcolm said, looking like he was about to go into shock because of the sheer number of questions that were piled up in his head. “Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you. I mean, I've read all the files.”

“On speakerphone, please.” the captain said sharply. “I don't want anyone keeping secrets.” Catherine did as she asked, awkwardly reaching between Malcolm and the phone, since Malcolm was too busy gushing to actually hear the captain speak.

“Really?” the Doctor’s excitement was obvious even through the poor quality of the speakers, and Catherine couldn't help her smile. Despite all the issues that she had had with him in the past, his excitement was infectious. He was just lucky that grudges didn't seem to carry through regenerations, she muser. “What was your favourite, the giant robot? No, no, hold on. Let's sort out that wormhole. Excuse me.”

_The yetis were obviously the best._ Catherine said, and Rosie snorted soft plumes of smoke.

_Now I know you're mad._ The dragon replied. _The Loch Ness monster is best, and you know it._

They had been having the same argument for years, each time mentioning different adventures that they had heard about. So far, they had yet to run out of stories to compare.

They tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear the Doctor. “I've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. I need a complete full range analysis of that wormhole. The whole thing.”

Catherine swore quietly under her breath. “You just had to be on the bus, didn’t you?” 

“Well, I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator.” Malcolm began explaining. “I thought it could measure the energy signature.” 

“No.” the Doctor interrupted. “No, no, no, no, no. That'll never work. Listen.” 

“It's quite extraordinary, though.” Doctor Taylor cut him off. “I'm measuring an oscillation of fifteen Malcolms per second.”

Both Catherine and Capt. Magambo just stared at him for a moment, while Rosie chuffed. _What's so funny?_ Catherine asked, raising an eyebrow.

_I'm just imagining the look on the Doc’s face._ Rosaline said, sending her the mental image that went along with the thought. She had to work to hide her laughter at the picture, complete with bugged-out, cartoon-style eyes. The dragon gloated when Catherine had to fight to keep from laughing out loud at the pure ridiculousness of the image.

“Fifteen what?” he finally replied, sounding incredulous.

Dr. Malcolm Taylor just looked immensely proud. “Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm.”

There was a minute of silence or so before the Doctor responded - long enough that Dr. Taylor pulled the phone away to check and make sure that it was still connected. “You named a unit of measurement after yourself?”

“Well, it didn't do Mister Watt any harm.” he reasoned. “Furthermore, one hundred Malcolms equals a Bernard.”

“And who's that, your dad?” the Doctor asked, sounding more and more exasperated with every passing moment.

“Don't be ridiculous.’ the scientist snorted. “That's Quatermass.”

“Right. Fine. But before I die of old age, which in my case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that… is there anyone else I can talk to?” the sharp note of irritation in his voice made the scientist wilt slightly.

“There’s me.” Catherine said, leaning in so that her voice could be heard better. 

“Who’s me?” the Doctor asked. The voice was familiar, of course, but he was having trouble placing it. It could have been anything - it had been a few years at least since he had traveled with anyone for longer than a single trip.

“They call me the Angel, Doctor.” she said, and he could practically hear her scowling at him. “That was ridiculously rude, by the way, what you just said. Dr. Taylor here is onto something.”

“Thank you.” Malcolm said, blushing slightly at the praise that he really wasn’t used to receiving. “Doctor, listen.” he called out, raising his voice to be heard over the speaker. “I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image.”

“You did what?” the Doctor asked. Malcolm looked worried.

“Is that wrong?” he asked, adjusting his glasses. 

“No. Malcolm, that's brilliant. So you can actually measure the wormhole. Okay.” he paused. “I admit… that is genius.”

“The Doctor called me a genius.” Doctor Taylor said, his face splitting into the widest smile that any of them had ever seen.

“I know. I heard.” there was a small smile on the UNIT captain’s face that said that she agreed with the assessment.

“I did tell you so.” Catherine said, hiding her smile behind a curtain of red hair.

“Now, run a capacity scan. I need a full report.” the Doctor ordered. “Call me back when you've done it. And Malcolm?” He paused for a second, seeming to consider his next words carefully. “You're my new best friend.”

Catherine and Rosie shared a moment of happy little smiles at the look of pure wonder on Dr. Taylor’s face. “And you're mine too, sir.” they could hear the dial tone, but he kept shouting down the line. “You're, you're mine.” his face fell slightly as he looked up at the women. “He's gone. He's gone.”

“Cheer up, Doctor Taylor.” Catherine said, finally looking up from the computer that she was working at. “You’ve got a new best friend, remember?”

A small smile crossed his face at her words. “There is that.” he admitted.

“Now then,” she asked, gesturing for him to come over to where she sat. “What do you think of these readings?”

But Captain Magambo was studying her carefully. “You're different.” she said finally. “You don't seem to be impressed by him. By the Doctor.” She clarified.

Catherine snorted out a laugh even as she kept her eyes glued to the screen. “Trust me, Captain. If you knew half the stories that I know about the Doctor…” she trailed off for a second, then shook her head even as she continued tapping away at the keys. “Okay, he’d still be impressive.” she admitted. “I can’t really give you an excuse, sorry.”

“And where exactly did you get these stories?” Magambo asked, looking stern. Rosaline sent a slight warning over their bond - the UNIT captain was looking slightly suspicious. 

Catherine turned, sending the other woman what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “A lot of the old companions got together at one point and swapped stories.” she said vaguely, leaving out the fact that this happened at least two years in Magambo’s future and at least a hundred years in her past. 

Of course, that was only part of the truth. The rest of it was that she had spent enough time around Aunt Sarah, Sir Alistair, and her own mother to have heard enough stories about him that made her realize that the Doctor was as ridiculous and prone to making mistakes as anyone else. The fact that UNIT these days seemed to almost worship him unsettled her a bit. “Not to mention - have you ever noticed how nothing phases Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart? There's a reason for that.”

“Trust me.” She continued, turning back to her computer. “If you knew half of the things that didn't get put into the files, you wouldn't think him as impressive either.”


End file.
